Three-way switch

ABSTRACT

A multiway switching device may comprise a wireless device in communication with a relay and a manual switch of the device. A toggle state of the relay may be indicative of an electrical configuration between conductors and rectifier circuits of the multiway switching device. The wireless device may receive, from the manual switch or from an external device, a signal indicative of a modification to the toggle state of the relay. Based on the signal, the wireless device may cause the modification to the toggle state of the relay. The wireless device may cause output of a status signal indicative of the modification to the toggle state of the relay.

RELATED APPLICATION

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/204,654, filed Mar. 11, 2014, which claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/784,342, filed Mar. 14, 2013, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

In building wiring, multiway switching is the interconnection of two or more electrical switches to control an electrical load (often, but not always, lighting) from more than one location. For example, this allows lighting in a hallway, stairwell, or large room to be controlled from multiple locations. While a “normal” light switch needs to be only a Single Pole, Single Throw (SPST) switch, multiway switching requires the use of switches that have one or more additional contacts and two or more wires must be run between the switches. When the load is controlled from only two points, Single Pole, Double Throw (SPDT) switches are used. One example of a multiway switch is a three-way switch. Electrically, a three-way switch is a Single-Pole, Double-Throw (SPDT) switch. By correctly connecting two of these switches together, toggling either switch changes the state of the load from off to on, or on to off. The switches may be arranged so that they are in the same orientation for off, and contrasting orientations for on.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example conventional three-way switch. Conventional implementations of a three-way switch require all switches to be replaced in case of a device failure. In addition, it requires the installer to know which end is the load versus the supply (slave or master). With the advent of home automation, it would be beneficial to have more capable three-way switches.

SUMMARY

Systems and methods relating to multiway switching are described. A multiway switching device may comprise a relay. The relay may be configured to control electrical communication between conductors and rectifier circuits, such as via contacts of the relay. The multiway switching device may comprise a manual switch. The manual switch may be configured to receive a user input. The user input may be associated with a toggle state of the manual switch. The toggle state of the manual switch may be indicative of a command to modify the toggle state of the relay. The multiway switching device may comprise a wireless device. The wireless device may be configured to communicate with the relay and the manual switch. The wireless device may be configured to communicate with an external device, such as via a wireless communication method. The wireless device may be configured to receive a manual switch signal, such as from the manual switch, or a control signal, such as from an external device. The manual switch signal or the control signal may be indicative of a command to modify the toggle state of the relay. The wireless device may be configured to cause a modification of the toggle state of the relay based on the manual switch signal or the command signal. The wireless device may be configured to cause output of a status signal. The status signal may be indicative of the modification to the toggle state of the relay.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example RF-based three-way switch.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example low-leakage rectifier.

FIG. 3 is a state table of an example RF three-way switch.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of an example conventional three-way switch.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Although the detailed description herein contains many specifics for the purposes of illustration, anyone of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that many variations and alterations to the following details are within the scope of the embodiments described herein. Thus, the following illustrative embodiments are set forth without any loss of generality to, and without imposing limitations upon, the claimed invention.

Generally, devices and methods described herein comprise a relay coupled between conductors and rectifier circuits. A converter is coupled between the rectifier circuits and a radio frequency (RF) device. Control signals are coupled to the RF device. A physical switch is coupled to the RF device, and the control outputs of the physical switch form a multi-way switch.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example RF-based three-way switch. The switch of an embodiment comprises a physical switch coupled or connected to an RF device or processor. The RF device is coupled or connected to a converter, which in an embodiment comprises a DC-to-DC converter. The converter is coupled or connected to the local power supply by a relay circuit and numerous rectifier circuits.

The switch of an embodiment simplifies the installation process involving three-way switches by only having to replace one of the three-way switches in a multi-switch installation. Furthermore, the switch of an embodiment is positionally agnostic in that it can function as either the master or the slave (supply or load). In addition the switch is Radio Frequency (RF) controlled (e.g., Zigbee, WiFi, etc.), and is configured to report the status or state of the light (i.e. on or off) as well as the current power consumption.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of an example rectifier circuit. Each rectifier circuit of an embodiment is a low-leakage rectifier, but the embodiment is not so limited. Power to the RF switch of an embodiment is provided by the combination of the rectifier circuits and the converter. Each rectifier circuit of an embodiment includes a combination of low-leakage diodes. An optional shunt resistor is included in an embodiment to clamp reverse leakage current to direct current (DC) ground. Multiple instances of the circuit are implemented in an embodiment to reduce the reverse leakage current of any particular diode to relatively smaller magnitudes.

The local power supply to the switch is an alternating current (AC) system comprising three circuit conductors. The local power supply therefore includes a first conductor that is a “hot” conductor carrying an electric potential relative to electrical ground or neutral, a second conductor that is a neutral return conductor of the local power supply circuit, and a ground conductor with continuity to earth ground. In an embodiment, each conductor of the local power supply is coupled or connected to the converter using a dedicated rectifier circuit, but the embodiment is not so limited.

As described herein the switch of an embodiment includes at least three instances of the rectifier circuit, one coupled or connected to each of the relay three-way switch connections, i.e. one to the normally closed (NC) contact, one to the common (C), and one to the normally open (NO) contact. The physical conductors of the local power supply are connected to the RF-enabled three-way switch at each of the relay inputs, i.e. NC, C, and NO contacts, instead of the physical switch. The physical switch comprises a low-voltage contact to the RF device that acts as an input to the RF device to indicate user input.

The RF device comprises a processor and is coupled to numerous control signals. In an embodiment, the RF device is coupled to signals VT1-VT3, CS1-CS3, relay enable signals, and physical switch contacts NC, NO, COM. The VT1-VT3 signals act as voltage sensors to determine whether or not line voltage is present at each of the AC terminals. The CS1-CS3 signals are current sensors, which could be implemented at current transformers, hall effect devices, or other such means as measuring current.

In operation, the device is indicated to be “ON” when current sensor CS1 and CS3 or CS1 and CS2 indicate current flowing. If a user activates or presses the physical switch, then the RF device reads the input, and contacts the relay accordingly. If an RF command is indicated to turn off or turn on the device, then the RF device contacts the relay accordingly. FIG. 3 is a state table of an example RF three-way switch.

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims, the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed in an inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; that is to say, in a sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words using the singular or plural number also include the plural or singular number respectively. Additionally, the words “herein,” “hereunder,” “above,” “below,” and words of similar import, when used in this application, refer to this application as a whole and not to any particular portions of this application. When the word “or” is used in reference to a list of two or more items, that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: any of the items in the list, all of the items in the list and any combination of the items in the list.

The above description of embodiments and corresponding systems and methods is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the systems and methods to the precise forms disclosed. While specific embodiments of, and examples for, the systems and methods are described herein for illustrative purposes, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the systems and methods, as those skilled in the relevant art will recognize. The teachings of the systems and methods provided herein can be applied to other systems and methods, not only for the systems and methods described above.

The elements and acts of the various embodiments described above can be combined to provide further embodiments. These and other changes can be made to the embodiments and corresponding systems and methods in light of the above detailed description.

In general, in the following claims, the terms used should not be construed to limit the invention and corresponding systems and methods to the specific embodiments disclosed in the specification and the claims, but should be construed to include all systems that operate under the claims. Accordingly, the invention and corresponding systems and methods is not limited by the disclosure, but instead the scope is to be determined entirely by the claims.

While certain aspects of the systems and methods are presented below in certain claim forms, the inventors contemplate the various aspects of the systems and methods in any number of claim forms. Accordingly, the inventors reserve the right to add additional claims after filing the application to pursue such additional claim forms for other aspects of the systems and methods described herein. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: receiving, by a computing device configured to communicate wirelessly, a wireless signal indicative of a command to modify a toggle state of a relay, wherein the toggle state of the relay is indicative of an electrical configuration, controlled by the relay, of a plurality of contacts of the relay; based on the command, sending, by the computing device to the relay, a first electrical signal to modify the toggle state of the relay; receiving, by the computing device from a manual switch, an electrical signal indicative of a toggle state of the manual switch; based on the electrical signal indicative of the toggle state of the manual switch, sending, by the computing device to the relay, a second electrical signal to modify the toggle state of the relay; and sending, in response to determining a modification of the toggle state of the relay, by the computing device, a wireless status signal indicative of the modification of the toggle state of the relay, wherein the modification is based on the command or the electrical signal indicative of the toggle state of the manual switch.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises causing output, by the computing device, of an indication of a malfunctioning of an electrical device in electrical communication with one or more the plurality of contacts of the relay.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining, based on an indication of current flowing at one or more of the plurality of contacts, the toggle state of the relay.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises determining whether voltage is present at one or more of the plurality of contacts of the relay.
 5. A device comprising: a relay comprising a plurality of contacts, wherein a toggle state of the relay is indicative of an electrical configuration of the plurality of contacts; a manual switch; and a computing device configured to: communicate wirelessly and to receive a wireless signal indicative of a command to modify the toggle state of the relay; based on the command, send to the relay a first electrical signal to modify the toggle state of the relay; receive, from the manual switch, an electrical signal indicative of a toggle state of the manual switch; based on the electrical signal indicative of the toggle state of the manual switch, send to the relay a second electrical signal to modify the toggle state of the relay; and send, in response to determining a modification of the toggle state of the relay, a wireless status signal indicative of the modification of the toggle state of the relay, wherein the modification is based on the command or the electrical signal indicative of the toggle state of the manual switch.
 6. The device of claim 5, wherein the computing device is further configured to cause output of an indication of a malfunctioning of an electrical device in electrical communication with one or more of the plurality of contacts.
 7. The device of claim 5, further comprising: at least one current sensor configured to provide an indication of current flowing at one or more of the plurality of contacts, and wherein the computing device is further configured to determine, based on the indication of current flowing at the one or more of the plurality of contacts, a toggle state of the relay.
 8. The device of claim 5, wherein the computing device is further configured to determine whether voltage is present at one or more of the plurality of contacts of the relay.
 9. A system comprising: a device comprising: a relay comprising a plurality of contacts, wherein a toggle state of the relay is indicative of an electrical configuration of the plurality of contacts; a manual switch; and a computing device configured to: communicate wirelessly and to receive a wireless signal indicative of a command to modify the toggle state of the relay; based on the command, send to the relay a first electrical signal to modify the toggle state of the relay; receive, from the manual switch, an electrical signal indicative of a toggle state of the manual switch; based on the electrical signal indicative of the toggle state of the manual switch, send to the relay a second electrical signal to modify the toggle state of the relay; and send, in response to determining a modification of the toggle state of the relay, a wireless status signal indicative of the modification of the toggle state of the relay, wherein the modification is based on the command or the electrical signal indicative of the toggle state of the manual switch; and an external device configured to send, to the computing device, the wireless signal indicative of the command to modify the toggle state of the relay.
 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further configured to cause output of an indication of a malfunctioning of an electrical device in electrical communication with one or more of the plurality of contacts.
 11. The system of claim 9, wherein the computing device is further configured to determine, based on an indication of current flowing at one or more of the plurality of contacts, the toggle state of the relay.
 12. The system of claim 9, wherein computing device is further configured to determine whether voltage is present at one or more of the plurality of contacts of the relay. 